Lint-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. W. JOHNSON.

LINT MACHINE.

No. 349,845. f ggtented Sept. 28, 1886 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. W. JOHNSON.

LINT MACHINE.

Llm Q P WM "Fries.

J. \VOOD JOHNSON, OF NE\V BRUNS\VICK, NE\V JERSEY.

LlNT-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,845, datedSeptember 28, 1886.

Serial No. 202,50 (No lllfllhl.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that L J. Woon .ToHNsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Brunswick, New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Lint Machines, fully described and represented inthe following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming partof the same.

This invention relates to an improved combination of mechanism foractuating the scraping-knife at right angles to the cloth or fabric, andfor retracting the cloth by a lateral pressure upon the same between thefeed-roller and the knife during the depression of the latter. Theconstruction will be understood by refer ence to the annexed drawings,in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a transversesection on line w a: in Fig. 2, showing only the feeding and scrapingdevices independent of their operating mechanism, the stretcher beingelevated to retract the cloth, and the knife being shown in contacttherewith. Fig. 4 is a similar section showing the knife elevated andthe stretcher moving toward the cloth; and Fig. 5 is aside elevation ofthe upper part of the machine with the feedgearing and the knife-carrierin its guides, with one of its projecting brackets resting on the sunface of the cam, the gcar being merely indicated by dotted lines toexpose the gears r r.

The machine, as shown in the drawings, is provided with areciprocating-knife operated to rest intermittently upon the clothduring the scraping of the lint,with a rotary stretcher for retractingthe cloth beneath the knife, and with a feed-roller for regulating themovement of the cloth through the machine.

a a are the frames of the machine; I), the roll of linted fabric orcloth, which is indicated in its passage to the scraping-knife by theletter I); c c are two guidebars over which it passes, and between whichis situated the feed-roller d, the latter being provided with anadhesive surface adapted to grasp and hold the cloth. From the guide-barc the cloth passes to and over an elastic cushion, consisting in astationary roller, e, provided with a yielding covering,f,andhavingtheknifegsustained above it by a cross-head, 71, and droppedupon the cloth, during the scraping of the latter,by suitable mechanism.Between thefced roller and the cushion is mounted arotary shaft, '17,provided at one side with a longitudinal bar, k, which is held paralleltherewith by armSj, and strikes the underside of the cloth when theshaft is rotated, thereby lifting the entire width of the latter, asshown in Fig. 3. As the cloth is prevented from moving where it adheresto the feed-roller 11, such lifting operates to retract it from beneaththe knife, and thus subjects its fibers to a scraping action, where theknife rests upon them, each time the shaft '5 is rotated. After eachretraction of the cloth the knife is lifted by an upward movement of thecross-head l1, and the cloth is moved forward over the cushion f by itsown weight or by a weight, 10, attached to its outer end, and camsl areaffixed to each end of the shaft 27 at opposite sides thereof from thestretcher 7;. The cams are located outside the frames a, and thecross-head h is provided with brackets m, which rest upon the cams andserve to lift the cross-head and knife when the stretcher is movingthrough the inoperative half of its circuit, as shown by the dottedcurve 7; in Fig. 4. The fabric, after subjection to the scrapinginfluence of the knife, is wholly converted into an endless sheet ofloose fibrous tissue, which can be readily torn apart by the fingers,but which retains sufficient strength to hold a light weight, as the twothin bars 10 shown in Fig. 1. \Vhen a length of the fabric has beenlinted sufficient to hang down nearly to the floor, its weight sufficesto take up the slack produced at each rotation of the stretcher, withoutthe use of any auxiliary weight, the cloth then moving forward each timeover the cushionf the amount which it has been retracted by thestretcher, plus the amount fed forward by the rotation of the roller (Z.The knife in its descent therefore strikes the cloth each time a littleback of the point where its scraping action previously commenced, andthe next retraction of the cloth then exposes the fibers of such newportion to the knife, as well as a portion of the fibers exposed by itsprevious action. The

cross-head operates at each end in vertical guides h, affixed to theframes a, and a cross 'terial to the working of my invention.

bar, g, is sustained upon the tops ofsuch guides to compress a spring,8, which is inserted between such cross-bar and the cross-head to exertan adjustable pressure upon the knife and the cloth. The cross-bar iscarried by studs having nuts 9 fitted thereto above the cross-bar topress it toward the spring 3. The cushion f is formed upon a rollerheld, as by split bearings 0, so that it may be rotated partially in itshearings to expose a different part of its surface to the knife, whendesired, the entire surface of the cushion being thus available forsuccessive wear. The cushion shown herein would be constructed ofenameled oil-cloth secured over a layer of hair felt, the smoothness ofsuch enameled cloth enabling the lint fabric I), to slip smoothly overthe same, to take up the slack in the cloth I) each time the knife waslifted. The split bearings e are each held together by a screw, a"; butany other construction for the cushion or its bearings may be employed,as neither are ma- The rotations of the feed-roller being very muchslower than those of the stretcher-shaft, the latter is geared to theformer by means of a worm, 01, worm-wheel n, bevel-gears p, andspurgears r 1-; but any other gearing may be used, as desired. Theconstruction of the feed mechanism is not material, provided therequired speed is transmitted to the roller by any suitable connectionwith the shaft i, the latter being provided with fast and loose pulleyst t, to rotate it at the required speed.

Having thus set forth the operation of my invention, it will be seenthat its essential feature consists in reciprocating a knifeintermittently to and from the cloth resting upon ayielding cushion, infeeding the cloth thereto by the rotation of the feed-roller when theknife is lifted, and in retracting the cloth, when theknife isdepressed, by pressing upon it laterally between the feed-roller andknife.

I am aware that in a British lint-machine the feed-roller itself hasbeen made the retracting agent; but such a construction involves movablebearings for the feed-roller and means for moving the bearings to andfrom the knife. My construction is much simpler than this, as thestretcher operates directly upon the cloth itself and effects thealternate stretching and release of the cloth by a simple continuousrotary motion. I therefore disclaim any means for retracting the cloththat does not operate by pressing the cloth laterally between thefeeding device and the scraping-knife.

What I -therefore claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a liuting-machine, of a yielding cushion, areciprocating knife, mechanism, substantially as described, foroperating the Same to and from the cushion, devices for feeding thecloth to the knife, and mechanism, substantially as described, forpressing the cloth laterally between the feeding device and the knife,when the latter is pressed upon the cushion, the whole arranged andoperated substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a linting-machine, of a yielding cushion, areciprocating knife operated to and from the same, a roller adapted tograsp the cloth and rotated intermittently when the knife is raised fromthe cushion, one or more guide-bars adjacent to the roller, a stretcherpressed laterally upon the cloth between the feed-roller and the knife,when the latter is pressed upon the cushion, and means for actuating theknife, roller, and stretcher, substantially in the manner and for thepurpose set forth. p

3. The combination, in a linting-machine, of a yielding cushion, areciprocating knife operated to and from the same, a roller adapted tograsp the cloth and rotated intermit tently when the knife is raisedfrom the cushion, one or more guide-barsadjacent to the roller, arevolving shaft located between the J. XVOOD JOHNSON.

Vi tnesses:

L. LEE, HENRY J MILLER.

